Compacted specimens of ground hydrated Portland cement paste, brucite, gypsum, sodium chloride and table sugar were immersed in various solvents. The volume stability of the compacts was compared to that of non-compacted materials in the form of insitu hydrated Portland cement paste, single crystals of brucite and gypsum, and polycrystalline sodium chloride. Immersion in the various solvents resulted in the dissolution of the test samples. In all cases, dissolution was accompanied by an expansion of the material. The expansive behaviour of all systems and the suitability of using compacts as models for durability studies are discussed. (C) 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers.